Ben Lieberman

Ben Lieberman is a Chappaqua dad like so many others in so many ways. But, he is unlike most in one heartbreakingly distinctive way–he had to bury one of his children.

Seven years ago, the Lieberman family’s lives were forever changed by that phone call we all know as “a parent’s worst nightmare.” Their eldest, 19-year-old college freshman Evan, was being airlifted to the Level 1 regional trauma center of Westchester Medical Center (WMC) in critical condition due to injuries sustained in an automobile crash. Evan had been a passenger–a sleeping, rear-seat, belt-buckled passenger in an early morning car pool commute to a summer job.

The Liebermans immediately rushed to WMC, took up bedside vigil and never left Evan’s side. They slept on air mattresses in the hospital waiting room, and prayed and willed their son to beat the 10% first night survival odds doctors gave him. And Evan responded, fighting long and hard for his life for a solid month. Ultimately, however, he lost his battle, and the Liebermans lost their son and brother.

What do you do when you lose a child? Even in theory, it’s a question that is hard to think about; parents aren’t supposed to bury children, it just doesn’t make sense. Eventually, through a civil suit, the Liebermans gained access to the driver’s cell phone records, and determined that the driver had been texting during the drive and near the collision, Lieberman relayed. The crash happened in a dead cell zone, Lieberman also noted, so it couldn’t be determined either way what the driver’s exact activity was when his car crossed the double yellow line.

Ever since, and to honor Evan’s memory, the Liebermans have dedicated themselves to the dual causes of finding solutions for distracted driving and raising money for Westchester Medical Center.

Educating the Public About Distracted Driving

Combatting distracted driving has been a long, steady push to draw attention to the fact that distracted driving is as big an issue–if not bigger–than drunk driving.

Lieberman partnered with New Castle Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein and Police Chief Charles Ferry to create the “Hands Off the Phone and On the Wheel” initiative. Signs, banners and freely distributed magnets featuring the stopped hand logo (which also signifies the 5-point violation) are visible throughout town.

Lieberman also co-established Distracted Operators Risk Casualties, aka DORCS, –with the front passenger’s mother, Deborah Becker–to help spread the message far and wide that distracted driving causes terrible injuries and takes lives. And he began work with an Israeli phone forensic company, Cellebrite, to develop a device that would enable police to determine whether a driver’s cell phone was being used at the time of an accident. They called the device a Textalyzer for its similarity to the Breathalyzer.

To counter the arguments from various civil liberties groups, Cellebrite even figured out a way to make sure the device simply determines data usage without accessing personal information. In 90 seconds, the technology generates a report that details illegal typing and swiping but also differentiates legal voice activation and Bluetooth.

Pending Legislation for “Evan’s Law”

Lieberman, Greenstein and Ferry met with New York State Senator Terrence Murphy and Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix Ortiz to introduce the device, and to discuss a bipartisan state bill that would make New York the first state to attempt a distracted driving policy solution.

Ortiz, who was instrumental in the 2001 legislation banning the use of handheld devices while driving, stated: “We did a good job in implementing hands-free law; unfortunately, at a crash, the law can’t be enforced without an eyewitness or unlikely confession.” The proposed Textalyzer bill, a solution aptly named “Evan’s Law,” would enable police to examine phones at an accident site using the Textalyzer.

Governor Cuomo directed his Traffic Safety Committee to study the Textalyzer and the bill is pending.

Meanwhile, interest continues to grow and spread nationally, and Lieberman, who testified in Chicago, California, Washington, D.C., was recently honored with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Lifesaver’s Award for Public Service at the 2018 Conference in San Antonio Texas.

When not travelling and working to make our roads a safer place for all, Lieberman, together with his wife Debbie, is involved with fundraising for Westchester Medical Center through their now-established non-profit “Evan’s Team.”

According to Lieberman, the fundraising started “almost by accident.” The Liebermans’ many friends all wanted to contribute something, to help in some way; many suggested various events and community gatherings that would keep Evan’s sports- and fun-loving spirit front and center while raising money in his memory. They started with mud-runs, poker nights, dodgeball games (one of Evan’s favorite activities). These events were a hit and filled a need.

And, says Lieberman, “ended up raising real money.” Thus, Evan’s Team was established; its first project, renovating the waiting area of WMC.

Evan’s Team Fundraising Efforts

The family felt fortunate that Evan received excellent medical care, but they found the waiting room areas and experience were lacking in basic necessities. “There was nowhere to sleep, shower, or get a nutritious meal. There was no privacy; doctors and families were discussing the most intimate details of life and care without the dignity of private space.” With the generous funds donated by Evan’s Team, WMC’s Trauma Intensive Care Unit is now able to offer families “The Evan Lieberman Friends and Family Lounge”–a comfortable and dignified space complete with consultation rooms, private sleeping spaces, locker rooms with showers and an always-stocked nutrition center.

Evan’s Team’s grass-roots outings have grown to become a well-sponsored and attended annual event. The local community continues to get involved, and friends who have since moved away return to reminisce and take part. It’s still “all about Evan and something he would have loved,” says Debbie. Golf, tennis, and, of course, Evan’s favorite dodgeball/funball make for a day of play, while the evening is capped by a dinner and much-anticipated car raffle. This year’s car is a 2018 blue Mercedes 4Matic, convertible with a sleek saddle interior. It’s a beauty!

Parked at the top of King Street, in front of Quaker Hill Tavern, the car stands as an invitation to buy a raffle ticket (only 1,000 are sold each year), to join Evan’s Team and support such a worthy cause and to remember that driving is a privilege that requires attention, concentration and respect for the road and other drivers. Money raised from the event will go to Evan’s Team’s latest project–funding Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s Child Life and Creative Arts Therapies, dedicated to meeting the unique emotional, developmental and cultural needs of each child and family in their time of crisis.

To learn more about Evan’s Team including the upcoming outing event and car raffle, please visit: www.evansteamny.com

As I write this column, it is pouring outside and the temperature is hovering at 60 degrees. It’s hard to believe that in ten days Memorial Day weekend will be here and the unofficial start of summer. As anyone in this part of Northern Westchester can attest, it has been a long, hard winter. And that’s why we wanted to celebrate summer (and dads and grads!) with our June issue.

We are fortunate enough to live in an area that is chock full of fun and culture during the summer. Fancy hearing the latest indie bands? Grab a spot at the Pleasantville Music Festival. Is chamber music more your thing? Head on over to nearby picturesque Caramoor. Want to see young thespians sing their hearts out? Take the kids and go see Annie at the Armonk Library.

For me, a backyard BBQ truly epitomizes summer and the best of living in the suburbs. Come Memorial Day weekend, I’m itching to get the grill going and I’ll be sure to visit many of the local farmers markets to pick up a few things–corn waiting to be slathered with butter, fresh fruit pies bursting with flavor and seafood that I’ll cook on my cedar plank. There’s a bounty of options for farmers market fans in our towns and nearby and I love taking the family there on a Saturday morning–our dog included! Not only do they offer an opportunity to connect with local farmers and purveyors but also provide a great way to socialize with your neighbors.

Speaking of neighbors, we wanted to highlight two dads in our community: John Berman, CNN anchorman of “New Day” and an Armonk resident who is always seeking the truth in his role as a journalist, and Ben Lieberman, a distracted driving awareness advocate who was recently honored with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Lifesavers Award for Public Service and a Chappaqua dad. They both give back to their communities in numerous ways and serve as role models. Happy Father’s Day to John, Ben and all the dads out there who give 110% of themselves everyday.

We also wanted to wish a congratulations to all the recent or soon-to-be grads out there. So whatever you are celebrating this month–dads, grads or the start of summer, here’s to enjoying every minute of it with your loved ones. Happy summer and see you in September.

Chappaqua’s Ben Lieberman, co-founder of Distracted Operators Risk Casualties (DORCs), and his family are historically introducing a bipartisan state bill making New York the first state to attempt a distracted driving policy solution. The bill would enable police to examine phones at an accident site in a way that, notably, completely avoids drivers’ personal data.

The proposed law, called “Evan’s Law,” is named after Ben’s 19-year-old son, Evan, who lost his life in a 2011 collision caused by a distracted driver.

Evan’s Law, and the technology referred to as the “textalyzer,” is now being featured on ABC News, The Today Show, CNN, CNBC & the Washington Post.

The textalyzer is being touted as another tool to help local police departments fight distracted driving.

The Town of New Castle, New Castle community volunteers, the Horace Greeley High School SADD Club along with Get Reel Productions, LLC, a local media company based in Chappaqua, (http://www.getreelproductions.org), have released a Public Service Announcement (“PSA”) documenting the story of the Lieberman’s tragic loss and New Castle’s effort to change habits and laws regarding distracted driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driving a vehicle while texting is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. Despite this fact, and despite knowledge of the risk to themselves and others, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that 67 percent of drivers still use their mobile phones while behind the wheel. According to records released by LoHUD, the number of texting tickets in Westchester was up by 14 percent. LoHud provides a database that tracks distracted driving stats.http://lohud.nydatabases.com/database/tickets-cellphone-use-and-texting-while-driving

New Castle Supervisor Rob Greenstein says, “Since we started in October of 2014 there have been more than 1,000 tickets issued for distracted driving offenses. Our police department, under the leadership of Police Chief Charles Ferry, has done an incredible job combating this destructive behavior. We have one officer, Police Officer Chad Golanec, who in 2015 has issued more distracted driving tickets himself than all of two neighboring counties combined. He even recently issued a ticket to a backhoe operator!”

Police Officer Chad Golanec, who was instrumental in helping to produce the PSA film, says “I’m so proud to be a part of this initiative. The PSA is very powerful”.

New Castle Police Officer Chad Golanec

Linda Kallner, co-owner of Get Reel Productions, says “My hope is that this PSA saves many, many lives! For me, and in honor of Evan Lieberman and his courageous family, New Castle, New York will forever be at the heart of the cause to put down Smartphones when we drive”.

Dr. David Greenfield, who is the founder of The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction (www.virtual-addiction.com) and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and who took part in the PSA stated “I’m really glad this message is getting out there; its been an honor to be involved in this project.”

New Castle Police Chief Ferry stated “the PSA is wonderful. Linda Kallner and Lyle Anderson of Get Reel Productions produced a very powerful video. We are so fortunate that Dr Greenfield agreed to be a part of the project. His knowledge and credibility in the field of electronic addiction, and his insightful comments are a large part of the success we are seeing.”

New Castle Police Chief Ferry

New Castle Supervisor Rob Greenstein stated “Our town is committed to being leaders in combating distracted driving. We hope other towns and cities around New York and across the country share this PSA: https://vimeo.com/162567095 and help get the message out! We all need to do our part to combat this national epidemic.”

Ben Lieberman says “This is a special community. The latest town effort is one example of helping our neighbors avoid this horrible outcome but also, to help our family in the aftermath.”

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